MINDFUL MESSAGE: Tu Bishvat Reflection Questions
Today is Tu Bishvat, the Jewish holiday that centers a spiritual connection with the land and reminds us of our obligation and oportunity to care for it. As part of the Seder I led this...
MINDFUL MESSAGE: Small Acts, Still Sacred
I play Clash Royale, a game on my phone, and I’m part of a clan where people can request card donations to make their deck stronger. Recently, someone asked for Vines and added the message:...
MINDFUL MESSAGE: Faith & Wealth
On Tuesday, January 20, 2026, I had the joy and honor of sharing Judaism’s perspectives on Faith & Wealth during a Zoom Webinar hosted by the Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee. Here is what I...
MINDFUL MESSAGE: Reflected Light on MLK Day
Late last night, I took a picture of my snow-covered backyard. Though it was the middle of the night, it looked almost like daytime—the moon reflecting light off the snow. On this MLK Day, I’m...
MINDFUL MESSAGE: Two Decades Later
Twenty years ago, during my final year of rabbinical school, I delivered this sermon to the community. Each graduating rabbi was invited to offer reflections, and I remember how nervous I felt standing at the...
Music As The Language Of Hope
*This past Sunday, I had the honor of sharing some closing thoughts at a Violins of Hope gathering. Below is the transcript of my words.* We’re each unique, and that’s neither good nor bad. It’s...
Leading Others to Do Harm
Adin Ross directed Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua to make an antisemitic gesture on his livestream—a gesture whose offensive meaning Nacua did not appear to understand. In moments like these, we are called...
Lighting the Menorah at the Milwaukee Admirals Game
Last night, I had the joy and honor of lighting the menorah and welcoming in Hanukkah one night early at the Milwaukee Admirals game on behalf of the Jewish Community Center of Milwaukee and Milwaukee...
“It’s Only $10… And It’s Not Mine.”
Over the weekend, my cousin, her middle-school daughter, my girlfriend, and I wandered through a holiday art fair—one of those cozy, colorful spaces where creativity fills the air. As we browsed a booth, I suddenly...
Mindful Monday: A Torah Repaired, A World in Need of Healing
Recently, one of its atzei ḥayyim—the wooden handles that hold and support the scroll—broke. Not only did this make hagbah (lifting the Torah) impossible, but it also created a moment of reflection: even sacred things...